Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.
The Community You Will Join
Airbnb's Creative team is composed of marketing and creative talent who serve as the company's storytellers — responsible for sharing Airbnb's vision and product promise with hosts and guests around the world. Our work spans campaigns, social, product launches, and product marketing, all grounded in Airbnb's core values. As Creative Lead, Photo, you'll sit at the intersection of brand and craft, partnering closely with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Product, and external agencies to bring Airbnb's visual identity to life at a global scale.
The Difference You Will Make
As the Creative Lead, Photo, you will own the photographic creative vision for Airbnb — leading a talented team of Photo Art Directors, Editors, Retouchers, and Researchers to produce world-class imagery that authentically represents the Airbnb brand. You will be the creative force that elevates the quality and consistency of photo-driven storytelling across all channels and touchpoints. Success in this role means delivering a cohesive, culturally resonant visual language that measurably strengthens brand perception and supports business outcomes across campaigns, product launches, and beyond.
A Typical Day
- Lead and mentor a team of Photo Art Directors, Editors, Retouchers, and Researchers — providing clear creative direction, ongoing feedback, and fostering an environment where individuals are empowered to do their best work
- Concept and develop strategically informed, channel-agnostic photo ideas that are deeply integrated across all brand and product touchpoints, from campaign to social to product marketing
- Oversee and art direct photo shoots end-to-end, ensuring all deliverables align with the strategic brief, Airbnb's visual identity, and overall brand intention
- Uplevel creative output across the organization by consistently bringing innovative, high-impact ideas to the table and setting a high bar for craft and authenticity
- Collaborate cross-functionally with a diverse mix of internal teams — including Marketing, Product, and Brand — as well as external agencies and international partners, balancing stakeholder needs while always seeking to elevate the work
- Communicate and align with creative teammates and company partners to ensure Airbnb's photo-driven creative work maintains the highest standard of quality and consistency across global markets
Your Expertise
- 10+ years of art and creative direction experience within an agency or in-house brand environment, with demonstrated experience working with global companies
- A strong portfolio showcasing your ability to lead teams in creating photography-driven communication campaigns that resonate culturally and drive measurable business results
- Deep expertise in Photo Art Direction as a storytelling tool — with a nuanced understanding of how photography communicates brand narrative both in marketing and within product experiences
- Proven people leadership and management skills, with experience inspiring and empowering creative teams through a strong, clear vision
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to passionately and clearly articulate and defend creative decisions to internal stakeholders and external partners alike
- Outstanding cross-functional collaboration skills, with a track record of establishing and meeting shared, outcome-based goals across diverse teams
- Proficiency in Figma is required; comfort working within collaborative, tool-driven creative workflows
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and progressive experience
*A CURRENT PORTFOLIO OF WORK IS REQUIRED FOR EACH APPLICANT*
Your Location:
This position is US - Remote Eligible. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites, as agreed to with your manager. While the position is Remote Eligible, you must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity. Click here for the up-to-date list of excluded states. This list is continuously evolving, so please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list. If your position is employed by another Airbnb entity, your recruiter will inform you what states you are eligible to work from.
Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:
Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.
We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: reasonableaccommodations@airbnb.com. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process.
We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application.
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